just add water to the paste and just mix with a spoon, then apply to your hand. the longer time you wait before taking the henna off, the deeper the color. so its all a matter of time and waiting. wash it off after 2-3 hours and then apply some hair oil to it to give it a more deep color. also after you apply the henna, make sure to mix some sugar and water and sprinkle it on the henna every 30 min. the color will become very rich and deep.